The Violet Flame
by mysterywriter012
Summary: Altiaria, is the daughter of Sauron. Sent away for her own protection by Lord Elrond, the ring calls her back many years later to Middle Earth where she joins the Fellowship on their epic journey. She has no memory of her father, but its only a matter of time before her past is discovered. Will she fall to the darkness? Or into the arms of the elven warrior? (Legolas/OC)
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Lord of the Rings, only my OC. Events are based on both the novels and the movies. This is my first LOTR fanfiction! :)**

_Sauron knew that he was the most feared being in all of middle earth, he had tens of thousands of orcs and various warriors at his disposal, who would do anything to see the fall of man, elf and dwarf-kind. But this was not always the case. He had become successor to Morgoth, the first dark lord. He had faithfully served as a Lieutenant for the evil tyrant. _

_However, there was a short period of time when Morgoth doubted his faithful Lieutenant. For he had the love of a Elf Queen, sister of Lady Galadriel, whose name was Celestine . Enraged over his Lieutenant's still existing humanity, Morgoth himself traveled to Valinor, slipping through the shadows where he murdered the peaceful Queen in her sleep. Sauron, though devastated by his loss, was banished from Valinor as well as all men, the path now only known to he elves. The only way they could now reach the once enchanted lands was by means of the Starlight Path or by the Sea._

_Following the war and defeat of the Valar, Morgoth was deceased and Sauron took up his place as the Dark Lord. Still having heart, many of his new followers doubted his leadership. So he sought to destroy the one place where his heart still lingered. He sailed for Valinor, slipping through the borders. As he stumbled upon the remains of his lovers old chambers, he saw Lady Galadriel, standing there with a small baby in her arms._

_Taken by surprise, Sauron did not at first know how to react. "You've come for your daughter, I presume?" she questioned. Sauron hesitated for a second, lowering his sword slightly. "My daughter?" he questioned "Celestine and I never had a daughter,"_

_"Of course you did. She was born shortly before her murder..but she remained hidden from Morgoth," she spoke, laying the child down for sleep. Galadriel was the most noble, dignified and smartest of all the elves that existing. Many would call her crazy for letting the evil lord take the sweet child. But she had seen into the fate of the little one, and in order for it to play out, she had to let Sauron take her niece. He would not harm her, as his connection with his daughter was fateful to that of his own fate. He would soon learn this._

_It was with that in which Lady Galadriel strode past him, staying out of his swords reach. "I will leave you. But if you do not stray away with haste, I cannot save you or her.." she whispered through his mind, before slipping out of the doorway._

_Sauron approached the small baby on the bed, lifting her up. As she opened her eyes to look at him, she saw they were the color of the most pure violet flowers that grew on the mountain side of the Misty Mountains. Her hair was that of a sweet honey blonde, curled ontop of her head. Just like her mother. She cooed slightly as she reached up to touch his shoulder-length, charcoal colored hair._

_Sauron heard rapid footsteps approaching, and he fled through the window. Once he had sailed back to Mordor, he held the child in his hands. He knew that the orcs would see him playing the role of the father figure, and find him weak. _

_His new Lieutenant, Norik, approached him. "What is this mere pest doing in our fortress, my lord?" he hissed. _

_"She has a purpose, for my blood flows through her veins. I've seen what the elf-witch has spoken of. Her fate is tied to ours. Ours to mine. We cannot allow the enemies to capture her..." Sauron retorted. It was with that, that he braced the child tightly in his grasp._

_"But first...I must leave something behind..." he added._

_It was with that, that he closed his eyes and began to pour all the goodness out of him and into his daughter. This was made possible through his growing dark magic. The head orcs watched as the baby's soft blonde curls turned to a charcoal black color. It was as if she was absorbing her fathers traits along with his humanity. Once he felt the last of his Soul slip away, his eyes flickered open. No longer having any remorse, he laid the baby to rest in the mock cradle that he had structured for her. He straightened his back, only to hear one of the sergeants say 'What a nice daddy' in a mocking tone._

_Sauron drew a dagger from his side and threw it in the direction of the orc without even turning away from his daughter. It struck the orc in the neck, and it fell to the ground. Sauron slowly turned to face the rest, his eyes glowing with anger. "Anyone else?" he questioned. The orcs now felt a surge of fear running through their spines. They wanted a ruthless, fearless, evil leader... and now they had one._

_It was then some five years later, that the great war of middle earth had occurred. Sauron has his daughter locked away in a cell just outside of Mount Doom, hidden from all the enemy's, the ring of power shining brightly on his finger. He had worn the strongest armor that he could muster in the dark, shadowy land. He watched as the many orcs were being slain, and then he finally stepped into the light. He continued to strike five men down at a time, the ring only answering to him. _

_He turned on the man known as Isildur, who was mourning over the loss of their leader. Sauron turned, ready to strike, it was in that moment that Isildur struck, cutting the ring free of Sauron's bodily form. Sauron felt the fire surging through him, as he was forced to abandon his human form. His dark soul fled, disappearing into the wind. He knew that he would find a way to return, but he had to conceal himself from all eyes._

_Elrond, turned to Isildur and led him into the firey volcano that was Mount Doom. Desperately trying to get Isildur to toss the ring into the lava and fire, Elrond feared failure at the sight of his friend turning and walking away, the One Ring in his hand. As he followed him out of the mountain-side, he heard what seemed to be faint singing coming from the mountain side. Ordering two of his elves to accompany him, he followed the trail and discovered a cell built into the sturdy rock of the volcano. _

_Breaking down the gate, they stepped in to find a small elf sitting there. Her hair was so black that it was the color of a thrush, a raven feather. Her eyes were a brilliant violet color, as she stood up to meet them. "You are not my father," she stated, tilting her head to the side._

_All three elves were caught off guard, staring down at the small child. "Who is your father?" Elrond questioned. "Sauron..my father is a King!" she stated proudly, a big smile on her face._

_"Do you know where he has gone? He told me he had business to settle. Adult stuff I would propose. Are you my new guardians to watch me? The orcs here are rather weird, they never want to play anything..." she trailed off, walking around the cell in circles._

_"The dark lord has a daughter?" the elf with shoulder length brown hair questioned, turning to Elrond. Elrond hesitated. The child seemed so sweet and innocent, he could not bring himself to kill her. It was hard to believe she had such a sweet disposition with who her father was. So instead, he thought of another proposition. _

_"Yes, I've been sent here by your father. He's going to be gone for quite awhile, he has asked me if I could take you to Rivendale, my home..." Elrond said, extending his hand to her. Her eyes glowed with excitement. "Will my father meet me there?" she questioned, doing a small dance with her feet. "I want to show him something,"_

_Elrond smiled slightly. It was not in the nature of elves to lie, but the circumstances were different. "He will be there, I am Elrond...of Rivendale. What is your name?" he questioned._

_She smiled up at him. "I am Altiaria (AL-TIE-AREA) of Morder!" she exclaimed, proudly. She reached her hand to meet Elrond's, and at the moment of her touch. Elrond felt what seemed to be a slight surge of magic, and he watched as her raven-black hair went from a night black and suddenly slowly change into a honey blonde. Her violet eyes changed to the color of sapphire. It was as if the darkness and that of her past life were sucked out of her at the moment of his touch. _

_Elrond and his company brought her back to Rivendale, where she stayed for a few months, but it was at that point where she started asking questions to Elrond about her father. "When is he coming for me? I am sure his business is over by now,"_

_She was very wise for a child of her age. He had consulted the Lady of Lorien, Galadriel, who told Elrond of her past. How Altiaria was actually, by birth her niece and of the now forgotten land of Valinor. It was by Galadriel orders that she be sent to the 'other side'. Into a world consisting of only humans, another reality called 'Earth'. She would remain under the spells laid by Lady Galadriel, so that her elven appearance would cease to exist. Her ears, her aging would become that of a human._

_One day Elrond led her through the woods of Rivendall, along the path to the other world discovered by his past ancestors. "Is Arwen not joining us?" she questioned, growing attached to the young elf who had become like a half sister to her. _

_"No my young one, she wanted this moment between you and your father to be special," Elrond stated. "Are you coming to meet him?" Altiaria questioned. Elrond sighed deeply, before kneeling so that he was at her level. "No, this is a special moment between you and your father..." he said, a kind smile on his face. _

_"Now see those white trees in the distance? I want you to run in-between them. As if it were an archway... and your father will be standing on the other side of them," he stated. Altiaria hugged Elrond tightly, before taking off in a sprint. Once she left Galadriel emerged from her spot in the woods._

_"She will return, when this world is ready for her..." Galadriel stated, in a soothing voice. "What will the people of the other world call her? For she bears an ancient name," Elrond stated. "She will have no memory once she passes through on the other side, but I feel the name Harley comes to mind," Galadriel stated._

_"Harley?" Elrond questioned. "Though her return must be made with caution. For a fellowship will be formed...for a task which even my gaze cannot see, but she will be part of this. She will either destroy them or bond them.. before she too is destroyed," Galadriel said, turning to walk away._

_"So you are saying, great lady, that her fate here is to die?" Elrond questioned, his heart dropping slightly. He had begun to become attached to the little one, and the thought of her returning to their world only to be killed in some great battle was heartbreaking, even for him._

_"No, not if her fate is changed...with the gift of the new one," Galadriel stated, before walking and disappearing into the woods. Elrond furrowed his brow. Nothing she said ever really made sense. The gift of the new one? Gift of the new what?_

_Elrond turned to see Altiaria disappear inbetween the two white trees, as she passed through the gateway and out of their world. Elrond headed back towards Rivendale, the peacetime wouldn't last for long and he knew that either Sauron himself would somehow return, or someone else would come looking for the daughter of the dark lord, the Princess of Mordor. _


	2. Chapter 2

Harley circled the classroom, her sapphire blue eyes scanning the small children that were infront of her. "Han!" she yelled in Korean, as the group of children threw out a punch with a loud yell. She stopped, watching this one tiny girl with two braided pig tails in particular. "Du!" she yelled again, watching the small girl perform a perfect front snap kick, before looking over at Harley for approval.

Harley smirked back at the girl, before resuming her position at the front of the class. "Se!" she said, yelling the number three. With that, the twenty kids in the class all threw one last punch, before exclaiming a loud ninja cry. Harley nodded, impressed.

"Juui!" she ordered, telling all the kids to stand at the position of attention. Once they did she bowed slightly, muttering the words 'Hwal!". The class followed her in suite, before they all looked back up at her excitedly. She was a master instructor in the art of Tae Kwon Do, and had been ever since she reached the age of twenty five. She spent her whole life, for as long as she could remember, studying the art of the karate. Now at the age of twenty seven, she was extremely well respected. "Alright class," she said, placing her hands on her in-shape hips. "I will see you all next week, remember we are testing so I want to see your very best forms," she said, a small smirk on her face.

Once the class was dismissed, Harley headed to the locker room. One of the male instructors, Ken, came back to see her. "How's it going Harles?" he questioned, playfully shoving her. "Harles? Really?" she questioned, shaking her head. "Are you working tonight?" he asked, her showing her a flirty glance. His sandy brown hair and gray eyes, and extremely toned body made him very desirable. "No I'm actually not at the bar tonight, I have to watch my friend Charlotte's cat since she is at Florida this weekend. I could use a night off from bartending, I know the bartender is usually the drunkie's best friend but sometimes its just too much.." she said, shaking her head.

"Alright, alright... I must say my self esteem is alittle shot now that I'm being turned down for a cat but it's all good, I can recover.." he said, flirtatiously. She showed him a playful look, before slamming her locker shut. "My parents are also in town from their big business trip in London this weekend, so I want to see them. Let's see what Monday brings," she said, before walking past him. She didn't even need to look back at him to know he was staring at her rear end. "I will hold you to that, have fun playing with the kitties," he teased.

"Kitty, just one. Give Charlotte some more credit she isn't a crazy cat lady or anything..." she called over her shoulder. "Yet," she added, to herself. She climbed into her F-150, before driving through the streets of Conshohocken, PA. As she headed towards her friends house in Valley Forge, she could not help but notice the beautiful orange sunset that streaked across the river. Once she pulled up to Charlotte's house, she let out a long drawn out sigh. She wasn't very fond of cats. But it was her best friend, so she did what she had to do.

She let herself in with the set of keys that Charlotte had given her, seeing the sleek orange tabby almost immediately. It hated her almost as much as she hated him. "Oliver, I swear if you so much as meow my way I will say you were kidnapped by a fox," she spat, walking over to the cabinet that held his cat food.

Oliver licked his lips in defiance, before trotting over to the windowsill and peeking out the window. Harley eyed the cat, before setting the food bowl down. "There you go, I'll see you tomorrow.." she said, moving to pick up her friends house keys. As she made to grab them, Oliver jumped up on the table and snatched the keys in his mouth.

"Oh you little devil!" she snapped, chasing him around the small island. It was with that, that Oliver squeezed through the small opening in the screen door and took off in a sprint towards the park. Harley grunted, before throwing the door open and chasing after him.

"Oliver! Oliver! Get the hell back here," she yelled, as the cat disappeared into the dense forest. For a moment, she debated letting him go and telling Charlotte that he ran away. But then she realized that Oliver could drop those keys in the shadiest part of town and some creeper could figure out what house those keys belonged to..somehow. She sighed. "The things I do for this friendship!" she muttered, before climbing through the woods.

She noticed that the vegetation grew thicker and thicker. She began to get frustrated, as she started pulling branches out of her way. "I swear, when I see this stupid cat I'm going to use it as a scarf," she grunted, kicking down a rather large half dead tree. She saw a shining light on the ground, and she squinted. Silver.

She grinned slightly to herself. Well at least she had found the keys. She hustled through the thick brush, ignoring the stinging sensation of a thorn bush whipping her across her cheek. As she bent down to pick up the keys, she came to the realization that it was not keys at all, but in fact, a necklace. She raised the necklace to her eye level, studying it. It was a purple-violet colored gem that was in the shape of a flame, and around it was aligned with tiny, circular diamonds.

"Interesting," she stated, studying it. It was then that she heard the snapping of branches, and she whirled around, expecting to see Oliver standing there. Instead, she saw a man with extremely long reddish-brown hair and a long bow in which he held up to her face. She studied the rest of his clothing only to realize that it was Renaissance-type clothing. She raised an eyebrow to herself.

"Well, I've heard of various people doing civil war re-enactments in Valley Forge Park, but this is alittle odd..." she said, moving to walk past him.

"Be still, human." he muttered, his bow now inches from her face.

"Look, I just need to find my best friends cat, okay? Now if you will excuse me, and remove your toy bow and arrow from my face..." she said, reaching up and pushing his bow towards the ground. It was then that he shoved her to the ground, now standing over her. "I told you, to be still! From which way do you come!" he yelled.

Before Harley could answer, she saw about seven more of the strange men with long hair approach her. She raised her hands, defensively. "Look, I'm just looking for my friends damn cat. How hard is this to grasp?" she questioned.

"What is a _damcat?_" one questioned.

"Sounds like mischief of a spy to me," another answered.

Harley rolled her eyes and sighed. "Oh yes, I'm definitely a spy. So why don't you take me to your Lordy-lord so we can sort this out and he can banish me or whatever he wants to do," she said, playing along. If some nerds were going to play this on her, she may as well attempt to have fun with it.

"Lord Elrond will decide your fate," the original one said, shoving her onto her feet. She took for a moment to notice his ears, they were slightly pointed. "Great job on the ears though, they look really realistically pointy," she said, moving to touch them.

He was quick to grab her straying hand, a warning look in her eyes. "Fool! Do you not know about touching a woodland elf's ears?" he questioned, staring her down hard. She folded her arms across her chest. "No, I do not. And I am sorry, so why don't you take me to your leader so we can get this day over with, I can watch my _Walking Dead_ and you can go back to playing World of Warcraft or whatever it is you guys do for a living," she said, motioning for them to lead the way.

It took them about ten minutes, before the elves led her to the town of Rivendale. Harley stopped in her tracks at the beautiful waterfall city of water and light that lay infront of her. "Is this a new addition to the park?" she muttered. She moved forward at the feel of another arrow jabbing against her back. They took her into this grand hall, where a single man sat on what appeared to look like a throne.

Her jaw gaped slightly as she stared at the elf who glided down from the throne and over to her in less than five seconds. "What business is this now, Hamdal? For I am conducting a meeting for a secret council on this night," he boomed, towering over Hamdal, the man..or elf who originally found her.

"She claims to be a spy, Lord Elrond. You ask that all spies be brought to you," Hamdal said, standing at attention for his King. Elrond studied her face for a second in recognition, before he began to pace in his spot. "It is unlike the Dark Lord to be sending a female as a spy into our midst...very well..where is it that you come from?" he questioned.

"Well, King of Prussia to be exact. But originally I am from Philadelphia," she said, truthfully. To be honest this was kind of starting to go too far.

Elrond showed her a confused look. "I know not of such lands. You are however, much cooperative for a spy. What is your name?" he asked, standing so he was inches from her.

"Harley...Harley Daniels..." she stated, getting extremely uncomfortable with how close he was getting to her. Elrond drew back for a second, before turning his head slightly to the side. "What did you say?" he asked, a slight hint of curiosity raising in his voice. "Harley..Daniels," she said, more hesitantly this time. With that, Elrond's eyes widened drastically, as he turned to face his guards. "Leave us, immediately..." he ordered.

Hamdal looked extremely confused. "But my Lord..." he said, respectfully. "Out!" Elrond ordered, his voice booming through the halls. He rounded about on Harley once the doors slammed shut. "How is this possible? Galadriel said that you would return but once you came back we assumed so would your memories," he muttered, pacing in his spot.

"My return? Galadriel? What are you talking about?" Harley questioned, now backing away from him. Elrond looked at her and his face softened. "There is no need to be frightened, my child...I am not going to harm you. You were here once, as a very small girl only around five years old," Elrond stated. Harley felt a warm sensation of relief wash over her.

"Whew well, that's no surprise my parents are big Renaissance geeks and they probably drug me here and I just don't remember it," Harley said, a smile now returning to her face. "But that was close to 3,000 years ago..and you cannot be aged past twenty seven in human years. Which means that the time parallels in our worlds are far more than we ever imagined.." Elrond continued.

"3,000 years?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Elrond turned to face her. "Harley, answer me one question. Did you ever feel out of place in your world? Did you ever feel isolated?" he asked, knowingly.

Harley shrugged for a second, before eyeing the floor. "Well, yeah. I don't have that many friends and I don't get along with many people," she said.

"Well, that is because you do not belong there. See for yourself..." he paused to take her hand, as he looked into her eyes. "This may come to you as a shock, but know that this is happening for a reason," he said, moving her own hand towards her head and over her ear.

She eyed his suspiciously, and at the moment she touched her ears, she nearly jumped out of her skin. She let out a sharp, quick scream, as she ran her fingers over the slight point which was now on her ears.

"Wha...wha...what happened to my ears? Am I bleeding? I must have gotten hurt while I was stumbling through the thorn bushes.." she ranted, her other hand now on her other ear.

"Contain yourself!" Elrond yelled, sharply. She turned her gaze to meet his, her eyes slightly frightened. She let her hands fall back to her side, as she looked to the floor, before looking back up at Elrond. "What is happening with me, really?" she asked, her voice soft.

Before Elrond could answer, the giant wooden doors to the hall were thrown open, and a man with rough features and shoulder-length black hair stumbled into the room. Harley noticed how crystal-clear blue his eyes were, almost as if they were a near grey color.

"My Lord, I heard a great deal of shouting..." he said, looking back and for between Harley and Elrond, suspiciously.

"Aragorn," Elrond said in acknowledgement. Aragorn bowed his head slightly, as he stepped closer to the two of them. "This is...Harley. She is a very special guest of honor to me. I would ask that you find my daughter, and have her escort Harley to her quarters to find her something...suitable to wear for the council," Elrond stated.

Aragorn turned to face Harley. "Lady Harley, it is an honor to be graced with a guest of honor to Lord Elrond. I am Aragorn, son of Arathon," he said, politely. Harley showed him a slight smile. "Harley...daughter of Troy and Cecilia. Well, by adoption. I was abandoned when I was very young and do not remember my real parents," she said, with a slight shrug.

"I am most sorry to hear. Were they slained in battle?" Aragorn questioned, his voice full of empathy. "No, I think it was a car accident," Harley said, shaking her head. Aragorn furrowed his brown in confusion, opening his mouth to speak.

"I think," Elrond interrupted, pausing to shoot Aragorn a daring look. "That we can discuss Miss Harley's past later. Aragorn, please send Arwen," he said, staring Aragorn down. Harley got the gist that either Elrond did not care much for this Aragorn or he just had a weird way of expressing emotion.

Aragorn nodded politely, before walking out of the hall. Once he had left, Harley and Elrond turned to face each other once again.

"Harley, I understand this may not be easy..but know that you were brought to this world because your presence was necessary. You were born into this world, it was only a matter of time before you were called back into it. Though, I expected the circumstances be very different. I thought all this would be over by now..." he said, muttering the last sentence more to himself.

The doors opened again and a beautiful woman with soft brown hair that cascaded down to her back approached her. Her eyes, similar to Aragorn's filled up with light at the sight of Harley.

"I know your face," she said, approaching Harley. She took both of Harley's hands in her own. Harley smiled nervously. "I.. I've never been here," Harley answered.

"Arwen, please escort Miss Harley to your quarters. She is in need of something to wear to the council meeting," he said, eying her black yoga pants and pink tank top. Harley sighed. Great, now she had to be dressed like one of the nerds.

"Lead the way, Arwen..." she said, motioning for Arwen to step forward. "Actually, Harley wait outside for just a moment. I am in need to speak to my daughter," Elrond said, sternly. Harley nodded, before walking out the wooden doors. She had not walked more than twenty feet, when her body collided with someone else.

Harley staggered back slightly, turning angrily to curse off whoever just had the nerve to run into her. But as she set her eyes on the figure in-front of her, her heart near stopped. A man, with shoulder length blonde hair stood there. His eyes were as blue as a cloudless sky, and he wore a gray tunic. A bow and arrow were slung across his back, and his figure almost towered over her 5'5 small one. She assumed him to be at least 6'4 if not more.

"My lady, forgive me. For I did not hear your steps as you approached," he said, his voice smooth as a knife cutting the softest butter. She nearly melted in her spot. She opened and closed her mouth one or two times, making noises but no words seemed to want to come out. He was, without a doubt, the most attractive man she had set eyes on.

"Uh...uh..."

"Are you fair, my lady?" he asked, stepping closer to her. Her heart skipped for a second, and then she forced a smile on her face.

"Oh, I am quite fair. Fairer than fair. I am Harley, what is your name?" she asked, smiling like an idiot.

He showed her a small smile, before reaching and taking her hand in both of his. "It is an honor to meet you, Lady Harley.." he said, kissing her hand. Harley instantly felt the heat rush to her cheeks.

It was then that his eyes overlooked her body, before he tilted his head slightly. "From which land do you represent, Lady Harley? For I do not recognize the clothing," he said, confused. Harley suddenly felt very underdressed.

"Well-" she began, but was cut off by the sound of the doors opening, she turned to see Arwen and Elrond standing there. Elrond's face looked stern, while Arwen had a small smirk on her face.

"Well, Harley, I see you have made acquaintance with Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood." Elrond stated, as Legolas bowed his head in acknowledgement to him.

"Lord Elrond," he said, respectfully.

It was then that Arwen stepped forward, before motioning Harley to follow her towards her chambers. It took Harley a minute to comprehend what was going on. She turned around, to see Legolas turn around to look at her again as well. Heat instantly went to her cheeks as she turned back to walking away with Arwen.

Arwen raised her eyebrows at Harley, knowingly as they walked. It was as if she could sense Harley's attraction for the elf right off the bat.

"He is the son of Thraundil, who is not too fond of the race of men," she stated, simply. Harley turned towards Arwen, confusion in her eyes. She and Arwen shared a slight smirk, before they entered Arwen's room.

"I wasn't that interested anyway," Harley lied. Arwen let out a soft laugh, sensing Harley's lie. She led Harley to her dresser, where an assortment of travel dresses were laid out. Harley pondered, before pulling out one that had violet-lace sleeves and a royal blue body. She also pulled out material that looked like gray pants to be worn underneath the travel dress, so to not reveal any of her female hardware.

Arwen watched Harley as she disappeared behind the frame of the bed, tossing her Earth clothes over to the other side.

"So, I still don't understand one thing, Arwen..." Harley called from the other side.

"What is that?" Arwen questioned.

"What I am doing here in the first place...or why suddenly my ears are pointed like they are..."

Arwen paused for a second, forming her lip into a tight line. She wanted to tell Harley, as she recalled the brief conversation between herself and her father in regards to Harley's arrival...

_"But Father, I do not understand. She has said several times she has not been here before," Arwen protested._

_Elrond turned to face his daughter, his face stern._

_"That is because we have shielded her memories, to protect her. She was once here close to three thousand years ago. You may not remember, my child. You two were friends once.." Elrond stated. Arwen watched as her father paced around her, his hands behind his back._

_"Do you recall a friend named... Altiaria?" Elrond questioned, stepping closer to Arwen. Arwen's gaze fell to the floor for a second, before she made eye contact with her father once again, shaking her head._

_"You were quite young, my child. I rescued Altiaria from the firey side of Mount Doom. She was only five years of age..she is the daughter of Sauron," Elrond finished, his eyes scaling Arwen's face for a reaction._

_Arwen's face darkened slightly. "The dark lord's daughter? He still lives through her,"_

_"Yes and no, Arwen. Lady Galadriel is also her niece. Prior to Sauron starting the great war, he did something. He poured all that was left of his soul into his daughter. She is not evil, my child. She is trapped, by fate. Her fate is tied to Sauron's, and Sauron's to hers. Unless...the birth of a new one comes into play," Elrond recited._

_"Birth of a new one? So the dark lord would need to have another child?" Arwen questioned. Elrond sighed heavily. "I do not know. Lady Galadriel did not specify," he said. _

_"I am sending her on the journey to destroy the ring. Once she gets closer to Mount Doom, she may be able to remember the best way to get the ring into the fire," he said._

_"So she will die as well?" Arwen questioned, slightly saddened at the death of her distant childhood friend. Elrond smiled slightly. "There is always hope, Arwen. She may not have to die," _

_Arwen smiled slightly. "That would be fortunate, father..."_

_"Oh and Arwen...do not mention this matter to Aragorn, or any of the others. For it is not yet the ready time..."_

"Arwen?" Harley's voice rang out, as she stepped into view.

Arwen blinked multiple times, before showing Harley a small smile. "Radiant, Lady Harley.." she said.

Harley smiled, more to herself. She actually thought she looked very royal and pretty compared to what she normally wore. Yoga pants and a tank top, or sweat pants and a t-shirt. Her athletic figure and the flowy dress made a nice fit. Her mind instantly wandered to wondering where this Legolas had disappeared to.

Arwen motioned for Harley to follow her, as they made their way towards where Harley would be staying the night, seeing as the council would take place the next morning. Arwen began to tell her all about Rivendale, and Harley caught a somewhat loving glance as she and Arwen passed by Aragorn, who was smoking a pipe next to a statue of an elf holding up a large silver dish.

Arwen and Harley then stumbled on a very small, very quiet man. He had curly black hair, and once again, sky blue eyes. He stood barely above 4 feet. Harley smirked to herself, actually happy that she was, for once, taller than someone in this place. He drew back nervously, at the sight of two beautiful elven women approaching him.

"Frodo, I am most pleased to see that you are back on your feet.." Arwen said, approaching Frodo and kissing the top of his head. Frodo nodded nervously, before turning to face Harley. "Frodo, this is Harley.." Arwen said, unsure of how to introduce where Harley had come from. At this point, her elven appearance was slowly reappearing. Her ears were now more pointed than when she first arrived. It was as if the longer she spent in middle earth, the more it came back to her.

"Hello, Frodo.." Harley said, extending her hand to Frodo to shake. Frodo looked confused, as he studied her hand. "You take it..and then we shake hands. It's how my people greet each other," Harley said, an amused smirk on her face.

"Oh..Of course," Frodo said, extending his hand as well. As their fingers brushed, a something small and golden slipped out of Frodo's palm and spiraled in circles on the floor. The three of them stopped to stare at it, as it finally settled. Harley noticed a golden ring, laying on the ground.

She bent down, entranced to pick it up for him. "Wow, what a beautiful ring you have, Frodo.." she said.

"Oh no, my lady.. I can-"

It was then at the moment Harley's fingers touched the ring, that she felt a burning sensation surge through her body as she was thrown back slightly. Arwen immediately rushed to her side, while Frodo scooped up the ring and shoved it in his pocket. She held her head as she struggled to sit up.

"What was that?" she asked. She felt strong arms suddenly lift her and she turned to see Aragorn there as well. When the hell did he get there? "Lady Harley, are you okay?" he questioned, obviously concerned.

She nodded, before forcing herself to stand. As she brushed herself off, she looked to see Legolas along with two other elves dressed as himself staring at her from across the room. The two standing behind him muttered words to each other, as Legolas simply watched her, before turning away.

Harley snorted _Thanks for the help, jerk. _She thought as she eyed him from across the way. Once she finished her thought, Legolas turned to face her, his face slightly angry. She raised an eyebrow at him in challenge, as he turned and walked away.

"Come, my lady. Lord Elrond has asked that yourself and Lady Arwen dine with him tonight," Aragorn said, motioning for each of them to follow him. Harley noticed another lingering gaze between the two of them, before Aragorn led them away.

Harley's mind thought back to Legolas. Why had he been so friendly with her before, but now he was being all hesitant? She sighed, allowing Aragorn and Arwen to lead her away.

_The Witch-King of Angmar rode through the fog covered valley's, angered at his set back by the she-elf princess at the river. The ring had been in his grasp, and he allowed it to escape him. His master, Sauron, would have caught word of this by now. The dark shadows of the creatures that roamed the lands were, after all, always watching and were loyal to him._

_It was then that he heard it. He heard the ring calling him once again. He steered his horse, facing the direction from which it came. Rivendalle. He did not fear the elves, for he could be killed by no man. He heard the other nazgul riding up next to them on their dark horses. _

_He heard his master's voice echoing through his head, in the black speech._

**_"My blood has returned to Middle Earth, my blood and skin has just made contact with the ring. Do not harm her, for her fate is how I will return. Bring her to me. Bring me my daughter, and the ring of power," _**

_The Witch-King hissed, before commanding his men to ride towards Rivendalle. He knew of the Princess of Modor, seeing her when she was only a youngling. He would kill anyone who stood in his way of getting to her._

_Little did she, and those who were protecting her, know that by her arriving at Middle Earth, everything would change. Fate would be re-written._

**Meh, not my best... I have to get the basic parts out of the way before I can upload the Good chapters. So stick with me and I promise, this will turn out to be an amazing story with many twists and turns! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay, it was my military drill weekend this past month (yes I am in the service). But typically I will try to update this story every other day, two days maximum. This chapter may be alittle boring and dry, but I need to get the slow parts out of the way to get to the better ones. Just wait until you see how the next chapter is coming along! Thank you so much for the reviews and messages! ~MW**

Harley left the banquet hall, feeling as though she had eaten enough to last her three days. She ran her hand over her stomach, before letting out a low grunt. Ontop of being full, now she also did not feel well. As she made way around the corner bend, she saw Legolas sitting on a stone bench, alone, reading a small white book.

She narrowed her eyes, still slightly bothered by his failure to see if she was okay after the last time he saw her. "Good Evening, Lady Harley.." he said, not even bothering to look up from his book.

"Hmph," Harley retorted, moving to just completely walk past him without saying anything else. She heard him chuckle slightly, and she stopped dead in her tracks. She didn't even turn around as she spoke. "What's so funny, _elf?" _she questioned.

Legolas finally looked up from his book, closing it as he did so.

"It is odd how you speak, being an elf yourself, dear lady.." Legolas stated, taking slow steps towards her.

"No, I am not an elf. I am a human being and this is just some deep sleep that I am in and I will probably wake up with that damn tabby cat sitting on my head again," Harley argued.

Legolas raised his eyebrows at her, stopping no more than a foot away.

"You believe this all to be a dream?" he questioned. Harley could not tell if he was mocking her or if he was just intrigued by her logic.

"Of course it is, what else could it be? I'm in a magic land surrounded by too many trees, waterfalls and attractive men and-"

"You find me attractive?" Legolas asked, a playful smirk on his face. Harley squared her jaw in anger. She would not deal with cocky men in this realm, reality or dream. She had enough of that back at home with all the men she worked with.

"Attractive _Men_ there, Princey..." she spat.

"My father is the King, yes. But do not use your words to mock me for who I am by my birthright," Legolas retorted, anger now showing in his features. Talk about hitting a nerve.

"You're right, a prince would have shown true chivalry and would have helped a lady who had just fallen. You just stood there with your friends," she said.

"Had you not already been surrounded, dear lady, I would have been there to assist you," Legolas replied.

"Stop calling me 'dear lady'," Harley responded, moving to walk past him.

"You are right. A lady would not act in such persistent manners as yourself. I do not know what you are, if not that.." Legolas replied, his blue eyes glowing with anger.

Harley paused, before turning around and facing him. She smirked, before stepping up so she was only inches away from him. With that, she raised her hand upwards, knocking the book out of his hands.

He looked down at the fallen book, before making eye contact with her again. She continued to smirk at him, before she shrugged. "I'm sorry, I would love to help you. But I'm off to see my friends," she nodded, towards an approaching Aragorn and Arwen.

She walked away from him, not even bothering to turn around. Aragorn and Arwen raised their eyebrows at her approach, also seeing Legolas's hands clench in lose fists at his sides before he stormed off in the other direction.

"Lady Harley, are you alright?" Aragorn questioned. Harley noticed that Arwen unlaced her arm from his.

"I'm fine, just finding my own ways to deal with stubborn people that is all..." Harley replied, shrugging her shoulders slightly. Aragorn looked at Arwen, and the two shared a look. Aragorn then muttered some words in a foreign language to Arwen. Arwen responded in a few simple words in the same language, before they both turned to look at Harley.

"Lord Elrond has moved the council until tomorrow morning, there are still a few members who have not crossed into the borders at the time. He will be expecting you to join us, Harley.." Aragorn spoke up.

"Works for me," Harley said, sounded more annoyed than she actually intended on doing. Aragorn and Arwen looked at each other one last time, before Aragorn showed her a small smile and walked past Harley.

"Did I say something wrong?" Harley questioned, looking at Arwen with a confused expression. Arwen shook her head. "No, he has had quite an exhausting day. He is in great need of rest, as are you, Lady Harley," Arwen stated.

Harley could tell by the tone of Arwen's sweet voice that even though she said it in a generous tone, it was strongly suggested. Harley sighed, before striding past Arwen and off to her room. She prayed that when she woke up she would be away from this mideval nightmare.

Harley opened her eyes to what sounded to be a frustrated serious of knocks on her door. She threw the cloud soft covers off of her body as she struggled to open her eyes. A blinding light shone through the star-like mirror on her ceiling. She slowly sat up as the knocking continued.

She groaned, before hustling out of bed and over to the door. She pulled the pastel night robe tight around her body to cover herself. She threw open the door, frustrated.

"I'm sorry, I'm not used to such a soft mattress. I'll be right-"

Harley paused in the middle of her sentence when she saw Legolas standing there, his arms resting behind his back. He overlooked her for a second, before he found a spot on the wall to stare at.

"Good Morning, Lady Harley. The council will begin shortly. We are awaiting your arrival and Lord Elrond asks that you be there in a timely matter," he said, his eyes scaling the wall.

"Legolas, I am dressed..." she said, with a small smirk on her face. "I will say no more," Legolas said, turning on his heel and walking away. Harley giggled to herself for a second, before shutting her door. She had made the elf prince embarrassed.

As she moved to walk past herself in the mirror, she forced herself to stop. She took a minute to study her reflection. Her jaw dropped slightly as she noticed that her once shoulder length blonde hair had now grown past her chest. Not only that, but her ears were more pointed and predominate amongst her features. She didn't know whether she wanted to cry because she was so freaked out or just wait to see how this played out.

She paused to think. She thought about her life back at home and what was back there waiting for her. She had her boyfriends from the past, yes. But now there were none. She had two people in her life whom she considered to be best friends, but other than them she was not really close to anyone else. With the exception of her adopted family. Maybe being shipped off to Middle-Earth or wherever the heck she was didn't seem so bad after all.

After throwing on a forest green travel dress that had black laced sleeves, she headed out of the room. She didn't have to walk very far, stumbling upon a group of males sitting in a circle around a small stone table.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You've been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands on the brink of destruction, you cannot stop it. Night will fall. It is bound to this fate, this one doom..." Elrond said, rising to stand. Once he finished his sentence, he turned to see Harley slowly approaching. It was then that both Aragorn and Legolas stood up as she approached the circle as well.

"My dear Harley, how fortunate of you to be joining us. Please, we have a seat for you..." Elrond said, motioning to a spot between an older man with a long gray beard, that held a staff in his hand and an elf with long silvery-blonde hair. She slowly nodded her apologies, before scurrying over to her seat.

Both Legolas and Aragorn took their seats once she had sat down. The second she did, a chuckling was heard on the other side of the circle. She turned to see a man with sandy brown, shoulder length hair chuckling.

"A woman is summoned to this council?" he questioned.

Aragorn set his gaze upon the man. "There is no reason as to why a woman should not be, Boromir, Son of Denethor..." he stated, harshly.

Boromir closed his trap, before turning his gaze away from Harley muttering something like "If Gondor were to catch word of this..."

Elrond turned to face Frodo. "Bring forth the ring, Frodo..." Elrond stated, motioning for Frodo to move towards the table. Harley turned to see the small hobbit walk over to the table, cautiously, before placing the golden ring on the table.

Harley shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It was the same one from earlier that had set her veins on fire. All of this fuss, this council was about a golden ring? Hadn't these people at least come up with the technology to make golden...anything?

Boromir began to stir in his seat, as he stood up. "Do you not see? This is a gift.. a gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use it against him? Give, my father, the steward of Gondor the Ring of the Enemy. Long have these borders been kept safe by the blood of my people. We can use it against him," Boromir said, excitement suddenly rising in his voice.

"You cannot wield it, none of us can... the ring answers to the Dark Lord, Sauron and Sauron alone. It has no other master..." Aragorn spoke up.

At the mention of the name 'Sauron', Harley felt a shiver slither its way up her spine. She gripped the handle of the seat for comfort, catching the gaze of the man with the long beard and staff next to her.

"Sauron..." she whispered, narrowing her eyes at the ring. Either no one else heard her, with the exception of the old bearded man, or they pretended not to.

"And what would a mere ranger know of this?" Boromir hissed.

Harley watched as Legolas stood up. "This is no mere ranger, this is Aragorn...son of Arathon. An heir to the throne of Gondor.. you owe him your allegiance," Legolas hissed.

Harley's eyes darted over to Aragorn in shock. She could tell there was some aura about him that made him stand above the rest, but she never imagined him being an heir to the throne. Harley was no expect of medieval ranking, but she guess it meant that one day he would be King.

Aragorn raised his hand, muttering something to Legolas in the same language that he had spoken to earlier. Legolas slowly sat down, still eyeing Boromir.

"The ring of Sauron cannot be destroyed by any weapon that we hold here... it is a simple task. One of you, but take this ring and throw it into the fires of Mount Doom from whence it came..." Elrond stated, eyeing each of the members at the council.

Harley set her eyes back on the ring, and she could have sworn that when she did, she heard whispers. The whispers coming from the ring grew louder and louder, as Elrond's voice faded in the background.

**_"Altiaria..."_**

She looked at the man next to her, a startled look on her face. She turned to see him still staring at her, as if he had not taken his gaze off of her the entire time that she was sitting at the council meeting.

**_"Altiaria..." _**

When she realized it wasn't him who said it, she turned back to look at the ring. She suddenly felt entranced as she slowly leaned forward. She felt as though everything else was fading out, and her vision slowly zeroed in on the ring that lay on the table.

"Harley?"

Harley shook her head and blinked multiple times, before she turned to see Elrond showing her a confused expression. "Is there something you wish to say?" Elrond questioned.

Harley looked back and forth between the ring and Elrond. "Well...I...I..."

It was then that Frodo stood up, his head barely level with Harley's shoulders. "We will take the ring to Mordor," Frodo stated. A few gasps were heard, as Harley turned to face Frodo.

He blinked in shock, before turning to face her. "Forgive me, my lady, for I did not mean to volunteer you. Something came over me and it just all spilled out. As if something were telling me it was necessary to bring you along," Frodo stated, defensively.

Harley sighed, before shrugging. "I've got nothing to lose," she said, truthfully. Legolas then stood up. "It is not a safe passage for a hobbit and a woman to cross middle earth," he snapped.

Harley's eyes flared with anger. She was getting tired of his cocky demeanor. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked. A few of the other elves drew back in shock, as if they were surprised that she dare speak back to someone of royalty from their dominion.

Gimli stood up. "I will be dead before I see the ring in the hands of an elf, woman or not!" he snapped.

Boromir also rose. "If a woman takes the ring to Mordor, we will surely fall..."

Legolas stood up in anger and the rest of the elves did the same, moving towards Gimili. Harley narrowed her vision on Boromir, as she made to step towards him but Aragorn stepped in between the pair with a hand raised to each person.

Both Boromir and Harley exchanged a look of hate. The bearded man with the staff then stood up, slamming the butt of the staff to the ground. When he did, a light flashed across the floor and everyone stopped.

"Enough," he sneered. He turned to face Harley and Frodo. "I will accompany these two on this mission, as long as it is their burden to bear..."

Aragorn then strode over. "In life or death, I will protect you. You have my sword,"

Legolas also approached them, walking with pride. "And my bow"

Gimli, the short red-bearded dwarf waddled over. "And my axe,"

Harley watched as Legolas let out an exasperated sigh, and squared his jaw. Harley could not help but let an amused smirk appear on her face as she tilted her head downwards.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one... if this is to be the mission to destroy the enemy..then Gondor will see it done," Boromir stated, walking towards the small ground that was now forming. Harley looked up and exchanged a cold, hard stare with Boromir. She did not know quite how far the journey was, but she knew it was going to be dealing with this Son of a Gun during it. Now that she thought about it, he sort of reminded her of her Marine Corp Ex. Same cocky attitude, just with longer hair.

"Wait!" a voice cried from in the bushes. They all turned to see another hobbit with a brownish red colored head run around and stand next to Frodo, his arms folded. "Mr. Frodo isn't going anywhere without me," he stated, stubbornly.

Elrond showed a small, amused smile. "It is near impossible to separate the two of you. Even when he is summoned to a secret council, and you are not..."

"Wait... we're coming too!" a voice called, and Harley watched as two more hobbits with orange hair ran towards the group, excitedly. "You can't forget about us!" the other one spoke up, defensively.

"Nine..nine companions. So be it, you shall be the Fellowship of the Ring," Elrond stated, bowing his head respectfully. He turned to look at Harley.

"Lady Harley, a word?" he questioned. Harley slowly broke through the line of people, following Elrond up the stairs and through a set of marble doors. She looked around the room to see various statues and paintings on the wall.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked, before she could stop herself. Elrond showed her a slightly amused smile. "No, dear one...but I know I have alot of explaining to do..." he stated, his eyes overlooking her hair. He reached up, loosely following a strand with his fingers.

"Your hair... it grows long again, just like when you were a small girl..." he stated, slightly in awe. Harley let out a nervous chuckle, before taking a step out of his reach.

"Firstly, allow me to explain the history of this ring. It is a powerful weapon who, as Aragorn said, responds to only one. The dark Lord himself, Sauron. Before the forging of this ring, he gave nine rings of power to the men doomed to die.. three to the elven kings under the sky..and seven to the dwarf lords in their halls of stone. Sauron then forced an all powerful, one ring of power. He would use this ring to bring all the others together, and bring darkness to Middle Earth. When they all come together.. Middle Earth would be his. But in a great battle, Sauron was defeated. The ring discovered by the race of men. From then on, it seemingly passed from hand to hand through the centuries and ages. Until it was discovered by Frodo's uncle...who recently gave the ring to Frodo. I understand this description is very vague. But it is all the time we have to spare now. More will be explained to you on your journey. All of your companions will be able to tell you the tales as well," Elrond stated.

"But none of this explains why I am here. I have no ring...no skills," Harley protested. Elrond hesitated. He had been in council, secretly with Lady Galadriel last night. She was not to find out about her true past, until the fellowship arrived in Lothorien.

"Just one question...what is Altiaria? When all the tension started..I heard someone or something say Altiaria," Harley questioned.

Elrond kept the stern expression on his face. "In time, you will discover." Elrond stated, firmly.

Harley nodded, slightly disappointed. "Am I excused now?" she asked. It was already darkening outside, and Harley had wondered how long she had slept this morning. Elrond nodded, watching Harley as she hurried outside.

Once she had disappeared, Gandalf the Gray emerged from the shadows. "I still think it is unwise to be sending her on this mission, old friend..." he said, walking over towards Elrond.

"We did not have a choice. This is the word of Lady Galadriel. You will be accompanying them, afterall..."

"And what happens when she finds out that she is the daughter of the Dark Lord? When the rest of them find out? You must consider that Sauron could manipulate her himself,"

"We cannot blame her based on who her father is. She is nothing like him," Elrond argued, before striding out the opposite doors.

Gandalf sighed, before looking after his friend with a sympathetic look. "For all of our sakes, dear friend, I hope so..."

Harley continued to walk around the city until she spotted Legolas and Aragorn leaning and talking on the stone ledge. They both turned when they sensed her approaching presence. Aragorn showed her a warm smile, while Legolas kept his jaw squared.

"Wow. Don't look so happy to see me," Harley joked.

"You should not be joining us on this quest," Legolas snapped.

Harley's jaw dropped. Here she was trying to have a normal conversation, and he had just ruined it all.

"Excuse me?" Harley questioned.

"Maybe he means it because he is worried for your safety, my lady..." Aragorn cut in, shooting Legolas a warning stare.

"Her safety? More like the safety for us all. She possesses no obvious skills with a weapon,"

"You don't even know me, _princey"_

Legolas turned fully to face her, his back now to Aragorn. "What...did you call me?" he questioned. She could see the anger clouding in his eyes once more. Aragorn stepped around Legolas, pushing the two of them apart. He turned to Legolas, muttering the same language he spoke to Arwen and Legolas before. Legolas turned to face Aragorn, speaking a similar language but in more harsh tones.

Harley groaned, rolling her eyes. "I am so above this. I am going to my room, you two can sit here and shave each others backs or whatever you royals like to do for fun.." Harley snapped, turning and walking before any of them could say anything.

After a few moments of frustrated wandering, she finally found where her room was. She slammed her door shut, before collapsing on her bed. She began to think of the lyrics to "Thunderstruck," in her head, to try and calm herself down. Slowly, she let sleep take her.

Harley was awoken by a series of hard knocks. She woke up with a start, un aware of what time it even was. She stood up, hurrying to the door. She opened her door to see Aragorn standing there, and her face fell slightly. She caught a glimpse of the sky to see it was now dark. It must have been nightfall.

"I thought you were Arwen," she said, disappointed. It had been awhile since she had seen her one and only friend from this place.

"I'm sorry, we're you expecting her?" Aragorn questioned.

Harley raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, hence why I thought you were her,"

"I come strictly on business, good lady..." Aragorn responded, holding his hands up innocently.

"What business can I help you with?" Harley inquired.

"You and Legolas need to make peace. For it is unhealthy to the fellowship for two important members to be consistently quarreling with one another," Aragorn stated.

Harley looked past Aragorn, before looking back at him.

"Okay, if he's the one I need to make peace with, why are you here talking to me?" She asked.

"I have already spoken to Legolas. He is waiting for you in the gardens," He replied.

Harley hesitated, before nodding slightly. "Well, I suppose that is fair..." She agreed.

She grabbed her travel cloak, snapping the button in front of her neck. The gray fabric flowed loosely around her shoulders as she made her way down the moon-white stone steps that led to the garden.

Aragorn had not followed her, so she assumed she would be meeting Legolas alone.

She arrived in the garden, but had seen that Legolas had not arrived yet. She sighed, wondering if he had bailed on the whole 'making peace' statement.

"If you were an Orc, you would be dead..." His voice called, as he emerged from the bushes. The moonlight lit his features up perfectly, his blonde hair looking almost golden. She shook off the thought. She couldn't forget the fact that he acted like a total stuck-up jerk just because he looked like a God under the stars. Attractiveness would not cover for that.

"Well I'm not an Orc, and I don't even know what that is..." Harley responded, folding her arms.

Legolas walked past her, but as he did his body was only about a foot away from hers. Once he fully passed her, he pulled his eyes from her and turned towards the sky.

"They are extremely foul. They have no mercy for anyone, not even their own kind. I am more than certain we will pass them on this journey to Mordor," Legolas stated, his eyes scanning the stars.

Harley watched him, before unfolding her arms. "Sounds fun," she stated.

"They are but words of a fool, Lady Harley. This quest is no joke..." He said, turning to face her again.

"I was just trying to lighten the conversation a little bit. I don't know why you always have to be so serious about everything," Harley protested.

"We live in a dark time, never knowing when someone can turn on you..." He paused to look at the ground. "Especially someone you love," he added.

"I know how that is," Harley agreed.

"Oh?" Legolas questioned.

Harley nodded, before opening and closing her mouth hesitantly. Legolas diverted his gaze to the floor. "Forgive me, for I should not have questioned.." Legolas apologized.

"No, it's okay.. I mean we are about to go on a life or death quest anyway.. Might as well share something, right?" She questioned. She walked over to the stone bench, before slowly sitting down.

"A few years ago... I dated this ex marine. In other words, a warrior from my world. We had been seeing each other for almost a year. When one day he told me that he had PTSD... Post traumatic stress disorder. Its this rush of emotions that veterans get after they have seen battle and it when they come home they are so overwhelmed with what they have seen that...they are different. He said because of that he was seeking counsel and he couldn't be in a relationship. I told him I would wait for him... I later found out that PTSD meant seeing another woman behind my back. He never actually had PTSD, it was all just a lie so that I wouldn't be in his life anymore. I gave him my heart.. He gave it back to be in pieces," Harley stated. At this point, she was comfortable with telling the story.

"I am sorry, Lady Harley..." Legolas stated empathetic ally.

"It's okay, I had karate to keep my mind occupied. I got my second degree black belt and now I am a Master Instructor teaching kids," she shrugged.

"Karate?" Legolas questioned, moving to sit on the bench with her.

Harley's heart skipped a beat for a second.

"Hand to hand combat," Harley stated.

Legolas nodded, impressed.

"Well what is your story?" She questioned.

"My story?"

"Yes.. You said you were betrayed..." Harley pointed out.

Legolas reached behind her, pulling out a small, white flower.

"She was supposed to be my betrothed. But on the eve that we were to...wed, I found out that she had-"

Legolas paused to stare off into the distance, before he crushed the flower in his palm.

"I do care not to re-live the tale," Legolas said, standing up abruptly and tossing the flower to the ground.

He reached into the bushes, grabbing his quiver and bow. He slung the quiver across his back, before making eye contact with her again. "I will see you at sunrise, my lady.." Legolas said, his hands suddenly shaking as he held his bow. He looked as though he wanted to say more, but after a second of hesitation, he fled up the steps and disappeared out of the moonlight and into the darkness.

Harley scoffed in shock, before she stood up and walked over to the smashed flower. She picked it up, studying it in her hands. She had gotten so comfortable with opening up with her past, that she had gotten a little too comfortable telling it, she supposed.

She let the flower fall from her palm, as she walked past it and up the steps.

As she rounded the corner, she spotted Aragorn speaking with Arwen. They both turned to face her, their deep conversation interrupted.

"Did you and Legolas make peace?" He questioned.

"Well, I suppose so. He wasn't angry when he left..." She stated, truthfully.

Aragorn nodded, a small smile on his face. "Music to our ears," he stated.

He looked between Arwen and Harley. "I think it is the hour that I turn in. We have a long journey ahead of us with little time to spare for sleep," he said, taking Arwen's hand in his. He planted a soft, sweet kiss on her hand and it was then that Harley finally caught on to the loving gaze that lingered in between the two of them.

"No, no. Please do not depart on my account. I will be heading to bed as well," Harley said, walking away from the pair. She felt a pang of guilt. Aragorn was coming with her and the rest of the fellowship on the journey and leaving behind the one he loved. Harley thought back to her conversation with Legolas, and how he suddenly clammed up during their small heart-to-heart moment. Her stomach fluttered again when she had the vision of him in the moonlight in her head again.

She held in a slight giggle, as she laid down in her bed and let sleep take her once more.

_The Witch-King arrived back in Mordor, six of his riders behind him. Two of them had fallen behind in their attempt to invade Mordor. The elves had seen them, firing firey arrows into the night as they approached. They feared the fire, and two of them had let the arrows of fire defeat them, as they fled into the night. They would return, but the Witch-King was summoned back to Mordor, his concern with his missing riders was minimal at the moment._

_It was then that the Dark Lord's voice echoed in his head once more._

**_"You must build me an Army. Stronger than any on this earth. The time is coming, I grow stronger...Do not pursue, Altiaria any longer," _**

_The Witch-King hissed for a second. "And why is that my Dark Lord?"_

**_"She is coming to me,"_**

**Okay, now that the boring introductory parts are out of the way... I can FINALLY write the awesome, interesting and yes...romantic parts. This story is going to have many twists and surprises and unexpected surprises. I know these first three chapters were alittle dry and vague, but they are the beginning parts that I needed for the story. Wait until you see the next chapter! So please, stick with me and this is going to turn out to be a truly, amazing story! ~MW **


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for all the reviews! They really help me out alot and always make me smile! I would especially like to thank lizziecats for sending me some great ideas, which I will most certainly be using in the next chapter! If you would like to suggest something for the story, I would be glad to try and fit it in! Thank you! xoxo ~MW**

Harley stood with the fellowship that next morning, in between Aragorn and Gandalf. She was awoken earlier that morning by Arwen, who had brought her a message requesting that Harley see her father immediately before they all set out on their quest. A reluctant Harley had an audience with Elrond, in which he motioned for two other elves to approach her.

The first elf, was the one who had originally found her in the forest, Himdal if she was not mistaken. He presented her with a silver bow, and a quiver full of white arrows. She accepted the beautiful weapon, before turning to Elrond. "But I do not know how to shoot," she protested. Elrond merely smiled, before turning to the second elf. He had waist length blonde hair, and he approached her with two twin blades. She nodded, impressed. "Okay...well these I can definitely work with.. we've used something like these in my Master Instructor classes," she said, gratefully accepting the familiar weapons.

Elrond had watched her as she wrapped the belt around her waist, before slipping the two blades in their holsters. She looked at the bow and arrow nervously, and Himdal assisted her in slinging the weapon along with the quiver on her back.

"I have positioned to them so that in the event of an enemy attack, you will be able to access them with haste," he said, before bowing slightly to her. "Forgive me, my lady. For it was ignorant to grace you with such hostility when you first arrived," Himdal apologized.

Harley shrugged. "It wasn't your fault, if the roles were reversed I would have reacted the same way.." she stated. Himdal bowed to her once more, before disappearing with the other elf.

She turned to face Elrond once more, and he over looked her. She was wearing a forest green tunic, with black pants underneath. On her feet she wore boots that were the color of the purest oak. Her hair had now grown even longer, down to her midback. She was slowly becoming a part of middle earth once moved forward, before kissing her forehead. Once he pulled away, Harley tried to find words to say, but it was a struggle.

Now, almost an hour later she stood at the gate of Rivendale about to head out on an epic journey.

"The ring bearer is setting out on a quest to Mount Doom," Elrond stated, overlooking the fellowship. "You all travel with no bond or oath laid to go farther than you will. Farewell, hold to your purpose and may the blessing of elves and men and free folk go with you," Elrond said, overlooking all of the fellowship members.

He turned and set his gaze on Harley, where he let a very faint smile show. He opened his arms and Harley watched as both Aragorn and Legolas moved their arms so that their fists pounded their heart, before they too opened an arm to Elrond. Harley guessed it was something among the elves that meant they were thankful and accepting of his blessing.

"The fellowship awaits the ring bearer," Gandalf spoke up, looking over at Frodo. Harley watched as Frodo turned, looking at all of them. He quietly slipped through the group, and they began to head out. Harley turned one last time to look at Arwen and Elrond. Arwen showed her a small, hopeful smile and Elrond simply nodded to her in respect. She returned the nod, before following Aragorn out of the door way.

...

"If I were to have a say, I would say we were going the long way around.." she heard Gimili shouting from his spot beside Gandalf. Harley turned and looked at Aragorn, who was in the rear with her. "Why does he keep insisting on saying that?" she questioned.

Aragorn smiled in reply. "He is a dwarf," he stated, as though that explained everything. Harley had no idea what being a dwarf had to do with him being annoying, but she just went with it anyway.

She looked ahead, to see Legolas far ahead of the fellowship. He had barely muttered more than three words to her since their encounter in the garden last night. It was as though he did not want to be near her for some reason. She had seen him earlier that morning, when she was tending to the pony they would be taking on the journey with them immediately after her meeting with Lord Elrond.

He walked in her direction, stopped to nod with a 'My lady,", before walking past her again. She was confused as to what went wrong, and she had full intentions on finding out. They approached a cluster of large rocks, and Gandalf turned to face them. "We will rest here for a moment," he ordered. Instead of sitting, Legolas jumped until he was on the highest rock and then began to stare out into the open horizon.

"What is he doing?" she muttered, mostly to herself. "The elves have the purest vision, he can see for many miles ahead. He is scouting to see if there are any dangerous parties nearby," Aragorn replied, setting his equipment down on the rocks. Harley nodded, before taking a seat herself.

She noticed that Sam immediately began unpacking food, as moving to start a fire. She watched as an uneasy Boromir paced in his spot, his sword now out of his hand. She watched as he began to practice his motions and Harley raised an eyebrow at him. He kind of reminded her of those people she used to make fun of at Comic Con a few years ago when one of her ex-boyfriends took her there.

"That is a good sword, Boromir..." Aragorn commented, before he began sharpening his own against the rocks. Boromir showed him a victorious smirk. "It has seen the blood of many enemies, there was not a battle that I did not lead to victory while I had this sword in my possession," he remarked.

Harley tilted her head, before standing up. "Never lost a battle you say?" she questioned, before walking towards him. Boromir turned to look at her, a hint of disgust on her face. "That is correct, woman..." he sneered.

"What about without your sword?" she questioned, before taking her bow and quiver off of her back. She set them down next to Aragorn, as she made her way over to Boromir. Boromir let a vicious smirk cross his features. "I assure you, I am just as skilled without my weapon as I am with it.." he stated.

Harley shrugged, before cracking her neck and shuffling slightly in her place. She was about to knock the 17th century belief that woman couldn't do anything other than cook out of his head. "Show me," she said, a smirk now on her face. Boromir would not be the biggest or tallest man she had sparred in her Tae Kwon Do career, and she was confident that she could beat him at his own game.

Boromir stared at her, before he too dropped his sword on the rock. He approached her, his face unreadable. "You trick me into hitting a woman?" he questioned. His breath smelled like a mixture of cinnamon and dirt, quite repulsive.

"If you can get a hit on _the woman,_" she mocked his tone. Boromir's brown creased in slight anger as he threw a punch towards her neck. Harley quickly side-stepped, before wrapping her arm around his punching arm so that his arm was caught in the fold of her arm. Seizing the opportunity, she lifted her leg up, mocking as though she were to knee him in the chest. "One," she said, remembering the art she had learned since she was ten years old.

She then pivoted her stance so that she was facing the same direction as him. She quickly turned her arm so that she captured his wrist in her hand. Stepping forward with her left foot, she pushed his shoulder with her left hand. She mocked bringing her elbow down hard on his elbow, which if done hard enough, was powerful enough to break the enemy's elbow. "Two," she said, hearing Boromir mutter curses under his breath as he struggled to pull free.

She then pivoted her body facing the rear again, stepping forward with her right foot and using her right hand to push him forward. He turned and made eye contact with her, his arm still trapped with her left hand. She leaned forward slightly and whispered. "Three,"

She made a circular motion with her right leg so that it was behind his right leg, and she pushed him backwards, her leg being behind his causing him to loose his balance as he fell to the ground.

For a moment he just stared at the open sky, before he turned to look at her. "Where I come from, I teach this shit," she stated, before releasing her hold on him. As she stood up, she looked to see that she had an audience. Merry and Pippin immediately began clapping, muttering something like 'teach us, my lady!' and Aragorn merely smirked and nodded her way, impressed.

She looked above to see Legolas looking down and watching her, his expression unreadable. Merry and Pippin ran past her, over to Boromir who was now finally standing up. She turned to face him, and he nodded in her direction. "Very...good, lady.." Boromir said, before picking up his sword and walking towards Frodo and Sam. Merry and Pippin followed, asking Boromir to teach them how to use their swords when they encountered a fight.

Harley picked up her bow and quiver, sliding it on her back as Himdal had taught her to do. She walked past Gandalf, who was still debating with Gimli on which path was best to take to Mordor. She continued to climb, until she reached where Legolas was now squatting on the rocks, staring out into the distance.

He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "You should not antagonize Boromir, for his intentions are dark," he stated, as though she completely understood what he meant by that.

"You should not keep avoiding those who are trying to become friendly with you," Harley retorted. Legolas turned to face her again, raising an eyebrow in question. "Friendly?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly amused.

"Yes, friendly... as in friends or allies or whatever you call it here..." she said, struggling to not sound like a crushing fan girl. She had never really talked to a man as attractive as Legolas, but she had talked to attractive men before. She was usually very calm and was able to keep her cool, even play hard to get, but there was just something about him that made her jittery.

"Not that I would mind being friendly friends, I just..." she paused when she saw Legolas now raising both of his eyebrows at her. "I'm going to stop talking and go... make pine needle tea with Sam or something," she said, moving to walk away.

"Wait," Legolas said, standing up. She turned to face him as he slowly approached her, his expression inquisitive. He moved so that the edges of his tunic were touching hers, and her eyes searched his in question. He reached up, his hand moving through her hair and she could not help but let out an excited gasp.

He then pulled his hand away from her hair, opening his palm. A green beetle like creature the size of a golf ball was in his palm. He turned his hand so that the beetle fell to the ground. "You probably acquired it through our treks in the forest as we left Rivendale..." he said, turning away from her.

Once his back was turned, Harley let out a deep breath and laughed nervously to herself. "Y...Yeah, you're probably right. My hair is thick enough..." she said, her voice shaking slightly. She felt like such an embarrassed idiot. What the heck was she expecting him to do? She knew the guy...elf over the span of three days. Two and a half actually, why the heck was he affecting her so?

Legolas turned to face her, nodding, and then he turned to face the sunrise once more. Harley followed his gaze and narrowed her eyes to see what he was looking at. As she did, it looked as though her eyes were a camera that suddenly zoomed in. She immediately shook her head, and closed her eyes. She began to rub her temples, wondering if she was suffering from severe lack of sleep. She opened them again to see that her vision was normal.

She squinted once more and her vision zoomed in once more. She could see the trunks of the trees lining the forest, and herds of wild ponies running across the plains. She couldn't help but laugh in amazement at the wonderful sight.

"What is it you laugh at, Lady Harley?" Legolas questioned, and she snapped out of her trance. She turned to him, blinking and she could see normally once again. His features were serious, as usual.

"I was...admiring the horses in the distance," she said, truthfully. Legolas turned to face outward again and she nodded. "It is a shame that neither men, hobbits or dwarfs can see as we can.." he said, walking back towards the edge of the rocks.

"We?" she questioned. "Elves," Legolas replied. Harley nodded, she now remembered that in this world, she was apparently more than a simple human girl with a taste for hand to hand combat. It bugged her still to know why she or how she was an elf, but Elrond said in time it would be explained to her. She doubted that Elrond would just flat out lie to her and trick her. She trusted him more than anyone else right now.

"Right," she said, shifting awkwardly. "Do I make you uncomfortable, Lady Harley?" Legolas questioned, moving towards her once more. Harley took a quick step backwards. "No..no, no, no...I just... I don't know. I still don't know you," Harley said, which was half-true.

Legolas showed her a small smirk, nodding in reply. Harley stared off into the distance once more, before narrowing her eyes. "What is that?" she questioned, at the sight of what looked like a swarming black cloud moving against the wind.

Legolas turned to face the direction as well, and he grabbed her shoulder. He looked down to the rest of the fellowship, who were staring at the same thing. "Krabi from Dunland!" Legolas yelled.

"Hide!" Aragorn shouted. Legolas motioned for Harley to climb down the rocks, hurriedly. She slid under the shade of the bushes to find Aragorn already hiding there. Not five seconds later, Legolas was right behind her.

"What are they?" she whispered to Aragorn. Before Aragorn could reply, there was a sudden screeching heard and Harley heard what sounded like five hundred black crow-like creatures screeching as they flew over their heads. Harley bunkered down even more.

"_**Find them, find them. The Dark Lord's spies said that they were headed down this path!" **_

Harley laid completely flat against the rock, making eye contact with Legolas. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder once more and kept it there until the screeching had faded. Once it did, Legolas slowly slid out, extending his hand to Harley. Harley took it gratefully, as he pulled her out of the crease. He then offered his hand to Aragorn, who looked at Harley. "They are spies of Isengard," he answered.

"Well they said that the dark lord's spies knew we were headed this way... that must mean someone is tracking us," Harley said, looking around the group as they came out of their hiding places.

They all, with the exception of Gandalf, stared at her in question.

"They do not speak," Boromir stated, shaking his head.

"No, they had to have spoken... I heard them..." Harley argued, looking over at Legolas and Aragorn. The two of them exchanged a look, before turning back to her.

It was then that Gandalf strode over. "I am sure Lady Harley could hear their thoughts, for it is said that elves have the power to understand thoughts," Gandalf defended. Aragorn turned to look at Legolas. "Legolas, did you hear anything?" Aragorn questioned. Legolas shook his head, before looking back at Harley.

"It does not matter, you fools. The path is being watched. We must move to the wood line for the night and take the Pass of Caradhras in the morning. It is not safe to move while the eyes of Isengard are on the move," Gandalf spoke, moving past everyone. "Hurry now,"

They all turned their gaze from Harley and followed Gandalf, who hastily quickened the pace. Harley found herself to be running faster than she normally would. Back on earth she was no track-star, she would just do scenic runs for the fun of it. Then she remembered, _elf._

Once they reached the edge of a forest, Gandalf ordered that they burrow in shelters and rest as soon as they could. Harley helped Sam unpack Bill the pony. She had come to realize that Sam was a kind and gentle soul and she could see the deep brotherly love that Sam had for his cousin, Frodo.

Once she had finished helping Sam, night fall had already begun to settle. She found a tree that had a rather large indent in the side, and large roots. She set down her bow along with her quiver, and she took a seat with her back pressed against the tree. From here, she could see the open valley. Filled with fog, yes. But if anyone did venture their way, she would be one of the first to know.

"Would you like some linens, dear lady?" Aragorn questioned, walking up to her. She turned her head to him, and showed him a small smile. "No, that's quite alright... I'm used to sleeping on nothing but grass and dirt from when I was young. I was a girl scout, you see...and sometimes we did not have enough sleeping bags for everyone. Since I was the one who was often bullied, I always got stuck on the grass and dirt," she said, with a simple shrug.

"Girl scout?" Aragorn questioned, tilting his head slightly. "Oh..right. You basically learn about friendship, how to fasten different knots, about the wilderness and many other things," she said, doing her best to explain what a girl scout was without going into too much detail.

"I've never heard of such a thing in middle earth," Aragorn stated. Harley sighed. "Well, to be honest...I'm actually not from Middle Earth. Elrond said he knew me when I was a small child. But apparently I was sent away or something like that and then one day I...found my way back here. I don't ever remember being here and I know that sounds ridiculous, but its the truth...oh, and apparently I am an elf," Harley said, hoping she wasn't sounding like a loon.

Aragorn's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You came through the Passage of Katahdin," he said, his voice full of shock. "The what?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. "It is a passage connecting this realm to another. Known only to a few...the great lords of Middle Earth," Aragorn stated, in awe.

"Right..." Harley said, just going along with it. "Is this world anything like yours?" Aragorn inquired, squatting down next to her.

"No, no no no...my world is alot different. It would take many days to explain though," she said, just imagining how he would react when he found out about electricity or cars. "I would very much like to hear it one day," Aragorn said, with a small smile.

"Sure!" Harley said, somewhat excited. "So, are you still in these...girl scouts?" Aragorn questioned. "Oh no, its for young girls...and to be honest I was kicked out of them anyway," She said, blushing with embarrassment.

"Kicked out?" Aragorn questioned. Harley nodded. "Yeah, this one girl stole my nail polish and my brush and threw it into the lake. Let's just say she may have gone into the lake as well," she said, smiling at the memory of the evil, bully Kelly Fullam getting pushed off the dock and into the lake when she didn't even know how to swim.

Aragorn chuckled slightly. "Was this...nail polish...something of great value?" he questioned. "Nah, it was cheap as all hell. In this world...compare it to a slice of bread," she said, with a shrug. Aragorn smiled once again, before standing up as Boromir approached the two.

"Aragorn...could I have a word with Lady Harley?" he questioned, sounding almost sincere for once. Aragorn nodded, before respectfully walking away. Harley raised an eyebrow in challenge at the oncoming warrior.

"Harley... forgive me for treating you as I have. I have been raised by my father under the belief that women have no role in battles. I misunderstood you, gravely..." he said, bowing his head slightly.

Harley shrugged. "Where I come from, men still do the same thing on occasion anyway..."

Boromir nodded, respectfully. Harley chuckled slightly. _Especially when you work in the Hardware department at Home Depot and none of the male customers think you know anything about the power tools._

"Perhaps one day, you could teach me some of your combative skills? Once this is all over," Boromir suggested. Harley nodded, a small smile on her face. "Sure," she stated. She couldn't guarentee anything. To be honest she kind of wanted to leave this Middle Earth nightmare and go back to her couch and episodes of _Psych _and _The Walking Dead._

Boromir bowed once more, before slowly walking off. She turned to see Gimili approaching her. "You elves have the first watch, dear lady..." he said, before he continued to walk past her. "Wait, where is Legolas then?" she questioned.

"Over to your right somewhere..." Gimili called over his shoulder, still walking away from her. Harley grabbed her quiver and slid it over her back, before picking up her bow and walking to find Legolas. It did not take her long to find him, as he was practicing firing arrows at something in the trees. She slowly approached him, and he turned to face her.

"You received the dwarfs message," Legolas stated, firing another arrow upward. Harley turned her gaze to see what he was actually firing at. There were these black, circular items that were the size of a grapefruit.

"Getting dinner, I see?" she questioned, slightly humored. "They are poisonous," Legolas replied. Harley blushed with embarrassment. "Oh," she said, looking to the ground.

Legolas eyed her bow. "It is a fine bow...it will suit you well in battle," he said, matter-of-factly. "I'm sure it would, if only I knew how to use it properly and efficiently," she said, truthfully. Legolas turned to face her, before placing his drawn arrow back in the quiver on his back. He approached her, placing his bow on the large gray rock behind her.

"Draw your bow," he ordered, and she did so. He took an arrow from his own quiver, and handed it to her. "Take up your position," he said, folding his arms across his chest. Harley did as she was told, placing the arrow on the bow string and drawing back as if she was about to fire. She looked at Legolas briefly, before firing an arrow. It missed the tree infront of her and disappeared into the bushes behind it.

She looked at Legolas, her cheeks red with embarrassment. "Sorry," she muttered. Legolas drew another one of his arrows, and handed it to her. "Again," he said.

She took her position, pulling back on the bow string. "Wait," Legolas said, before stepping over to her. "What?" she questioned, suddenly confused. Her question was answered by Legolas's hand gently pressing down on her right shoulder. "Relax this arm," he said, his voice now soft. She inhaled, before allowing her arm to loosen up slightly.

"Now," he paused, stepping so that his chest was to her back, his one hand still remaining on her shoulder. "Maintain a firm grip with this hand," he said, wrapping his hand around her own that was holding the bow. "Touch the corner of your mouth, hold the arrow tight..." he whispered. Harley did her best to hide the growing smirk on her face, doing as she was told. "Fire the arrow," Legolas said, his hot break on her ear. Harley couldn't move for a second, as she was to caught up in the moment. She had a guy do this to her once, when he was teaching her how to play on the driving range at golf, but this felt completely different.

"Harley," Legolas said, his voice now back to normal. Harley snapped back to reality and focused on the tree, and she let the arrow fly. It struck the tree, dead in the center. "Huh," Harley said, a victorious smirk now on her face. She looked back to see Legolas still close to her. "Thanks," she whispered.

Legolas went to say something else, but it was then that a rustling in the bushes was heard. "You elves!" a voice called out. They looked to see Pippin walking out of the bushes, holding an arrow in his hand. "You just shattered a good cup of grog! Shame on you!" he said, handing Legolas the arrow.

He turned to Harley, showed her a small smile and then headed back to the bushes again. Harley blinked in shock for a moment. "Alrighty then," she said, before shaking her head.

"What is that?" Legolas asked, looking down at the ground. Harley looked at the ground and gasped slightly. "Oh, that is the necklace I found when I first got here..." she said, wondering how it fell out of her pocket. Probably during their mini lesson. Legolas studied it for a moment, running his thumb over it.

"A Violet Flame?" he questioned. "Yeah..I like the tiny diamonds that frame it," Harley said, inclining that she wanted the necklace back. Legolas looked at her, before unhooking the necklace. "Then if you like it so much, why not wear it?" he asked, stepping closer to her. She felt him move her hair from her neck and reach back so that he clasped the necklace in the back.

Harley looked into his eyes as he looked down at the necklace that was now around her neck. He seemed to have the tendencies to be a gentle soul after all. "Beautiful," he said, before looking up and making eye contact with her. For a minute they just looked into each others eyes, and the next thing Harley knew, Legolas jumped back as if he had seen a ghost.

"Forgive me," he said, before picking up his bow. "I must secure the left flank of our encampment.I trust you will be secure on your own until Aragorn or Boromir relieves you," he said, before taking off at a quick pace.

Harley stared after him in disbelief, before shaking her head in dismay. This was the second time that he had done this to her. Harley scoffed, before sitting down on the rock and laying the bow across her lap.

_Men._

...

Harley hated the cold. She hated everything about it. She loved it when she was a kid, because the colder it was then that meant snow. Snow meant the possibility of school being closed.

But as she and the rest of her fellowship companions trekked up the mountain side, she wondered why the hell she had loved the snow so much as a child. Her back was aching her terribly. After Aragorn had relieved her, she resumed her position in the tree she had first found and wound up falling asleep sitting up.

When they first walked onto the snowy path, she wondered why both she and Legolas could walk ontop of the snow as if it were just a coat of dirt, while everyone else was near waist deep in it. Then she remembered, _elves._

Legolas walked to the front of the group again, and once again he barely said more than three words to her that morning as well. She was getting annoyed with him running away and then making her think more than she should be when he was back at her side. She decided that it was, what it was. She would never know what was going through his head.

It was then that Legolas stopped in his tracks, and began to stare out into the open. Harley tried to focus her vision, but even when she tried to use her elven sight, all she saw was snow, snow and a snowy mountain.

"There is a foul voice in the air," Legolas said, still staring ahead. They all listened for a second and then Gandalf gasped. "Its Sauroman!" he yelled, and with that a cracking sound was heard and a few snowy rocks tumbled down the mountain and into the deep abyss.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!" Aragorn yelled, carrying both Frodo and Sam. "No!" Gandalf protested. He took his position infront of Legolas, and began foreign words back into the open air. Whatever Gandalf tried to do, did not work because moments later, a lightning bolt struck the top of the mountain. They all looked up to see snowy rocks tumbling right towards them. Harley reached forward, pulling Gandalf and herself against the wall of the mountain as the snow continued to tumble.

Once it stopped, Harley found herself shoulder deep in the snow. She looked to see Gandalf against the wall, out of harms way. He made eye contact with her and showed her a small, thankful smile. What Harley didn't know was that in that moment, Gandalf realized that she was nothing like her father.

Harley looked to see Legolas offering her a hand, and she cocked an eyebrow at him, before accepting it. "Let the ring bearer decide the next path," Gandalf stated, looking over at Frodo. The rest of the fellowship began to emerge from the snow as well.

"We will go through the mines," Frodo ordered. Gandalf looked to the ground. "So be it," he said, disappointed.

Harley turned to look at Gandalf. "What is so terrible about the mines?" she questioned.

_The Witch-King paced in his spot, his fellow Nazgul watched him as he did so. He was awaiting further orders from the Dark Lord. Moments later, his voice echoed in the Witch-King's head._

"_**She is passing through the mines of moria...Alert the wizard to send forth an army, to bring me the ring bearer and my daughter,"**_

_The Witch-King hissed slightly. "I thought we are not to persue her any longer, my lord..."_

"_**I ordered you, my servant, not to persue her any longer. Time is running short, and I want to lead my dark armies into a victorious battle over those of middle earth,"**_

"_How do you know where she wanders, my lord?" the Witch-King questioned._

"_**She is wearing the enchanted necklace I gave her as a youngling, when I used to send her to spy on the elves and kings of old. Now, we will not lose her,"**_


End file.
